Kayla Richardson Named 1st Team All-Southern Conference

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Kayla Richardson is a 2005 Ashe County High School graduate and was the Ashe County High School JV Girls Basketball Assistant Coach for the 2008-09 season.


Courtesy: Appalachian Sports Information
Release: 05/05/2009


Kayla Richardson earned first-team all-Southern Conference while Michelle Lighton and Katie Boyd were named second-team selections and Megan Rembielak was named to the all-freshmen team, the conference office announced Tuesday.

The first-team all-conference honor is the first for Richardson who leads the SoCon in innings pitched with 187, and complete games with 13.  The senior ranks second in the conference in wins, with a single-season ASU record 13 and strikeouts with 143 which ties the single-season record while her 2.58 ERA is fourth in the conference.  She has also broken ASU career records for strikeouts, 337, and wins with 33.

Boyd earns her second-consecutive all-conference honor after being named first-team catcher last year.  This year, the sophomore has played every game at third base and leads the SoCon in eight different offensive categories and broke the SoCon record for walks in a season with 62.  She is also on pace to break the SoCon record for on base percentage and slugging percentage.  She leads the conference with a .389 batting average as well as runs scored, home runs, RBI and total bases.  All but the batting average are single-season school records.   She is currently tied for sixth in NCAA division I in home runs with 16 and is third and eighth respectively, in on base and slugging percentage.  Her 1.18 walks per game is tied for first in the nation.  Her 62 walks are tied for 13th best in a single-season in division I while her 21 intentional walks is tied for fifth most.  In just two years, Boyd has set ASU career marks with 25 home runs and has tied the walks record at 88.

Lighton becomes the second-straight Appalachian freshman catcher to garner all-SoCon honors after Boyd earned the honor last year.  Lighton has played in all 52 games this year, starting in 49.  She broke the ASU freshman RBI record with 32 and is second on the team with five home runs.  Her 32 RBI put her ninth in the SoCon while her 22 walks puts her in seventh place.

Rembielak has started every game at shortstop and is third on the team in average, runs scored and hits.  Her 35 runs scored ranks her tied for third in the SoCon.  The freshman leads all ASU hitters with a .329 batting average in conference play.

Appalachian finished tied for second with a school record 14 conference wins and will be the No. 3 seed at the SoCon tournament.  The Mountaineers play the No. 6 seed UNC Greensboro Wednesday at noon.

First Team

P: Brianna Streetmon, Georgia Southern 

P: Kayla Richardson, Appalachian State

C: Abby Robertson, Furman

1B: Michelle Fuzzard, Chattanooga

2B: Tiffany Baker, Chattanooga

SS: Nina Iduate, Georgia Southern  

3B: Kristie Shifflett, College of Charleston

OF: Lyndsey Stiles, Chattanooga

OF: Katie Forbes, College of Charleston

OF: Marie Fogle, Georgia Southern  

DP: Mollie Fowler, Western Carolina

UT: Megen Smith, Georgia Southern  

Second Team

P: Michelle Fuzzard, Chattanooga

P: Lana Mackey, Furman

C: Michelle Lighton, Appalachian State

C: Brittany Eason, Chattanooga

1B: Sam Russo, Georgia Southern  

2B: Amber Shifflett, College of Charleston

SS: Kaitlin Merkt, UNC Greensboro

3B: Katie Boyd, Appalachian State

OF: Kaiti Kelley, Chattanooga

OF: Amanda Hall, Georgia Southern

OF: Stephanie Field, Furman

DP: Shannon Howard, College of Charleston

UT: Robyn Harmon, Samford

All-Freshman

Megan Rembielak, Appalachian State

Katie Forbes, College of Charleston

Stephanie Field, Furman

Hanna Ennis, Georgia Southern  

Marie Fogle, Georgia Southern

Alex Emeterio, UNC Greensboro

Robyn Harmon, Samford

Amy Gonzalez, Samford

Jenni Martin, Chattanooga

Chelsea Schaffer, Western Carolina

Player of the Year

Kristie Shifflett, College of Charleston

Pitcher of the Year

Brianna Streetmon, Georgia Southern  

Freshman of the Year

Marie Fogle, Georgia Southern  

Coach of the Year

Frank Reed, Chattanooga